iPhone Users Keenest on Mobile Banking

When it comes to mobile banking, iPhone users lead the pack. That is the big news out of a U.K. survey conducted by YouGovpolling. While 21% of all Brits say they would pay bills via a mobile phone, 46% of iPhone users say they would.

iPhone users similarly doubled the enthusiasm of all other mobile users down the line of mobile banking tasks: 62% say they would transfer funds, 69% check balances, 45% pay others and 31% make contactless payments.

Similar device-specific research on mobile banking in the US apparently is not publicly available, but Jersey City, N.J.-based Antenna Software, a leader in the field, indicated the iPhone results did not come as a surprise.

Ken Parmelee, Antenna’s director of applications, added that in the company’s research, iPhone users are found to be very device focused and, in fact, to strongly prefer device-specific apps over mobile Web experiences.

Antenna’s recent research, also conducted in association with YouGov and released in early summer, found that more than one in three U.S. consumers with mobile phones, smartphones and tablets currently use mobile banking.

The other factor – which turns up in both the U.S. and U.K. – is a strong correlation of youth with enthusiasm for mobile banking. “The young are adopting it much faster,” said Terri White, Antenna’s media contact.

In the most recent YouGov study, more than half of U.K. respondents in the 18-24 age group wanted to be able to check balances on a mobile device. In the 55+ category, only 21% are similarly inclined.